Automatic ventilation device



July 27, 1954 J MAJOR 2,684,623

AUTOMATIC VENTILATION DEVICE Filed May 11, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l OFO- 0F FUEL 3 IN VENTOR o Mask/ H M4401? ATTORNEYS July 27, 1954 MAJOR AUTOMATIC VENTILATION DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 11, 1951 ATTORNEYS Patented July 27, V 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to ventilators, and more particularly to an automatically operated air ven tilation device for use in controlling the flow of fresh air into a furnace room.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved automatic ventilator for use in homes or in other locations wherein a fuel burner or other air consuming device is em-- ployed, for automatically allowing fresh air to enter said location from outside as soon as the fuel burner begins to operate, whereby the fuel is supplied with the optimum amount of air for maximum efiiciency of combustion thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved automatically operated ventilator for furnace rooms or other enclosures containing a fuel burning device, the improved ventilator being simple in construction, being automatic in operation, being easy to install, and being adjustable to provide a desired degree of opening thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of an im- 21.;

proved automatically controlled air ventilation device constructed in accordance with the present invention with the air shutter shown in open position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the improved air ventilation device of Figure 1, a portion of the screen of the air ventilation device being broken away to reveal interior details of construction.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the shutter in closed position.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the air ventilation device of Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the improved ventilation device is designated generally at H and comprises a generally rectangular frame l2 shaped to fit into and be secured within a standard window opening, such as the window opening of a furnace room. Secured in the frame 12 is an air screen [3 of conventional construction. Frame I2 is formed at its rear margin with a peripheral flange 14, and secured to said flange is a cover plate [5. Pivotally secured to cover plate [5 at its center, a by a shaft element It, is a shutter disc I1. The cover member [5 is formed with a plurality of sector-shaped openings l8 and the shutter disc I! is formed with similar, slightly smaller sector-shaped openings lil which are substantially registrable with the openings l 3, as shown in Figure 1.

The shaft element l6 extends through a bearing collar 26 secured to the center portion of the cover and is rotatably supported in a bushing element 2| formed on the collar 2%. Secured to the end of the shaft element it is a washer 22 and surrounding the bushing element 2i is a coil spring 23 which bears between the washer 22 and the main body of collar 29, biasing the shaft element 56 to the right, as viewed in Figure 6, and causing the head 24 of the shaft element to urge disc ll against cover Hi. This maintains the shutter member ll in substantially sealing engagement with the surface of cover l5 and prevents leakage of air between shutter I1 and cover l5 when the shutter in sealing position on the cover member.

Designated at 25 is a solenoid which is adjustably secured to the cover member l5 and which may be vertically adjusted thereon, as by the provision of a plurality of vertical slots 26 on the mounting flanges of the solenoid 25. fine solenoid 25 is secured to cover [5 by suitable headed fasteners 27 extending through the slots 26 and engaging suitable lugs or flanges provided on cover IS. The solenoid 25 is provided with a vertically movable plunger 28. The head of plunger 28 is connected by a coil spring 30 to a pin 29 secured to the shutter 11. The pin 29 extends through an arcuate slot 31 formed in the cover l5, said slot being concentric with the shaft [6 and allowing pin 29 to be rotated around the axis of said shaft member. Designated at 32 is a second coil spring connecting pin 29 to a bracket 33 secured on the cover 15 above pin 29, as shown in Figure 1, biasing said pin to its uppermost position in the slot 3!, in which position the openings it are covered, as shown in Figure 3.

The solenoid 25 is of a conventional type whose plunger 28 is normally elevated as shown in Figures 3 and 6 and which is lowered to the position of Figures 1 and 5 when the solenoid is energized. Therefore, the disc IT is normally in the position shown in Figures 3 and 6, whereby the shutter disc i'l seals the openings iii in cover [5.

Rigidly secured to the solenoid 25 and projecting upwardly therefrom is a bar element 3% whose top end is in the path of movement of the pin member 29. By adjusting the position of the solenoid 25 the lowered position of pin element 29 may be regulated, since the top end of bar 34 serves as a stop limiting downward movement of pin element 29. This provides a means of adjusting the degree of admission of air through the shutter IT and cover plate l5.

The solenoid 25 is connected in parallel with the terminals of the fuel valve of the furnace associated with the building in which the ventilator is installed, whereby the solenoid 25 becomes energized simultaneously with the energization of said fuel valve. When the fuel valve is energized, solenoid 25 becomes energized simultaneously therewith, moving the plunger 23 downwardly to the position of Figure l and causing spring 30 to rotate shutter l1 clockwise, as viewed in Figure 3 until pin 29 engages the top end of bar 34, whereby the shutter I! is moved to its open position. The movement of the shutter [1 to its open position allows fresh air to flow freely into the furnace room from the outside,

thereby allowing the fuel to burn with an optmum mixture therewith of air, and preventing the depletion of the air in the furnace room. When the fuel valve becomes deenergized, the solenoid 25 likewise is deenergized, whereby the plunger 28 returns to its elevated position, shown in Figure 3, closing the shutter ll.

The spring 30 provides a resilient connection between the pin 29 and the head of the plunger 28 and transmits a downward pull to pin 29 when the solenoid 25 becomes energized. The yieldable connection between pin 29 and plunger 28 also allows said plunger to descend into the solenoid even if the shutter ll becomes jammed in a closed or partially closed position, thereby preventing damage to the solenoid 25. The yieldable connection provided by spring 39 also allows the position of solenoid 25 to be adjusted vertically to provide a desired degree of normal air admission, as above described.

When solenoid 25 is energized and plunger 23 is pulled down, spring 31] exerts a sufficient down ward pull to stretch spring 32 and to rotate shutter H to open position. Should shutter ll become jammed and fail to open when the solenoid is energized, spring 33 yields and allows plunger 28 to descend. Thusspring 38 serves as a safety device to prevent solenoid 25 from burning out.

The device above described may be employed with all types of furnaces, such as stoker operated m furnaces, and may be energized from whatever controlling element is employed to initiate operation of the furnace, and is not limited to furnaces provided with electrical fuel valves. The device may be employed with furnaces of the manually operated type by providing a suitable energizing circuit for solenoid 25 including a switch coupled to the draft-controlling apparatus of the furnace.

The device of the present invention may be installed in any suitable wall opening other than a window if so desired, and may be provided with a suitable duct system to convey fresh air from the device to the location where its use is required.

While a specific embodiment of an improved automatic ventilation device for furnace rooms has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ventilator, -a support including a plate, a rotary disc mounted on said plate at one side thereof to turn on an axis perpendicular to the plate with a side of said disc positioned close to said one side of the plate, said plate being provided with an air opening positioned radially outwardly of the axis of said disc, said disc being substantially imperforate and provided with an air opening, said disc being rotatable from a closed position to which an imperforate part of the disc closes the air opening of the plate to an open position in which the air opening of the disc registers with the air opening of the plate, said plate being formed with an arcuate slot concentrically spaced from the axis of the disc, a pin fixed on said disc and projecting from the disc through said arcuate slot and beyond the side of the plate remote from the disc, and operating means for said disc, said operating means being mounted on the said remote side of the plate and operatively connected to said pin, said operating means comprising a plunger, mounting means mounting said plunger on said plate for movement endwise in a direction tangential to said arcuate slot, projecting means normally maintaining said plunger in a projected position relative to said mounting means, spring means connecting said plunger to said pin, and retracting means connected to said plunger, said pin being located at one end of said arouate slot and having an end remote from said one end of the slot and another end adjacent to said one end of the slot, said spring means being connected to said other end of the plunger, said spring means comprising a contractile spring.

In a ventilator, a support including a plate, a rotary disc mounted on said plate at one side thereof to turn on an axis perpendicular to the plate with a side of said disc positioned close to said one side of the plate, said plate being provided with an air opening positioned radially outwardly of the axis of said disc, said disc being substantially imperforate and provided with an opening, said disc being rotatable from a closed position in which an imperforate part of the disc closes the air opening of the plate to an open position in which the air opening of the disc registers with the air opening of the plate, said plate being formed with an arcuate slot concentrically spaced from the axis of the disc, a pin fixed on said disc and projecting from the disc through said arcuate slot and beyond the side of the plate remote from the disc, and operating means for said disc, said operating means being mountedon the said remote side of the plate and operatively connected to said pin, said operating means comprising a plunger, mounting means mounting said plunger on said plate for movement endwise in .a direction tangential to said arcuate slot, projecting means normally maintaining said plunger in a projected position relative to said mounting means, spring means connecting said plunger to said pin, and retracting means connected to said plunger, said pin being located at one end of said arcuate slot and having an end remote from said one end of the slot and another end adjacent to said one end of the slot, said spring means being connected to said other end of the plunger, said spring means comprising a contractile spring, said plate having a stop mounted thereon for adjustment lengthwise of said plunger, said stop being located in the path of movement of said pin and being adjustable to limit travel of said pin toward said one end of the arcuate slot.

3. In a ventilator, a support including a plate, a rotary disc mounted on said plate at one side thereof to turn on an axis perpendicular to the plate with a side of said disc positioned close to said one side of the plate, said plate being pro vided with an air opening positioned radially outwardly of the axis of said disc, said disc being substantially imperi rate and provided with an air opening, said disc being rotatable from a closed position in which an imperforate part of the disc closes the air opening of the plate to an open position in which the air opening of the disc registers With the air openin of the plate, said plate being formed with an arcuate slot concentrically spaced from the axis of the disc, a pin fixed on said. disc and projecting from the disc through said arcuate slot and beyond the side of the plate remote from the disc, and operating means for said disc, said operating means being mounted on the said remote side of the plate and operatively connected to said pin, said operating means comprising a plunger, mounting means mounting said plunger on said plate for movement endwise in a direction tangential to said arcuate slot, projecting means normally maintaining said plunger in a projected position relative to said mounting means, spring means connecting said plunger to said pin, and retracting means connected to said plunger, said pin being located at one end of said arcuate slot and having an end remote from said one end of the slot and another end adjacent to said one end of the slot, said spring means being connected to said other end of the plunger, said spring means comprising a contractile spring, said plate having a stop mounted thereon for adjustment lengthwise of said plunger, said stop located in the path of movement of said pin and being adjustable to limit travel of said pin toward said one end of the arcuate slot, said plate a bracket thereon located in the region of and spaced from the other end of the arcuate slot, and another contractile spring stretched between said bracket and said pin for urging said rotary disc toward closed position against the resistance of the first mentioned spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 373,324 Wheeler Nov. 15, 1887 1,600,508 Miles Sept. 21, 1926 1,752,663 Fagan Apr. 1, 1930 2,271,690 Goffredo Feb. 3, 1942 2,347,936 Crewson May 2, 1944 2,522,249 Baker Sept. 12, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 403,473 Great Britain r- Dec. 28, 1933 

